Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-24
FROM A LIVING DEATH.
Rescue Of . Seaman ON the Coast o.
Siberia.

SOLE SURVIVOR OF BOATS CREW CAST AWAY TWO
YEARS AGo-LIFE IN An EsoUMAUx vILLAGE-How
HIS RESCUE WAS EFFECTED.
Word has reached New Bedford Mass. Of the
rescue OF James B. Vincent, OF Marthas vineyard,
one Of the crew OF the whaling bark Napoleon,
lost In Behr1ng Sea in the summer OF 1885 while
coming out OF the Arctic. The Napoleon was
struck by an iceberg and went to the bottom i'm
mediately. The crew disembarked In four boats,
but had no time to take any provisions aboard. A
night and day they were tossed about, when q
gale sprang up and the boats were separated.
Finally, after four days the United states steam.
ship Corwin picked up one boats crew with eight
men alive and one dead. In the afternoon she
picked up another boat with six men alive and
three dead. Nothing was seen OF the other two
boats, and 1t was supposed that the eighteen men
who were In them had persisted amid the ice or
had reached the inhospitable coast there TO die Of
hunger and exposure
Last year letters from the Attic brought intelli-
gence that the first mate was supposed TO be alive
on the coast OF Siberia, but nothing authentic was
learned and 1t has since been aScertained that
there was no foundation for the hope. belief
that some OF the missing boats crew did not per-
ish was again revived a few months ago, when an
Old Indian came on board the whaling bark Hun
ana e the eSe
Vincent was alive, and clew to his whereabouts
had been found. The board with the Inscription
was sent to the commander OF the United states
Steamer Bear at Port Clearance, A. 7.
The message rudely carved on piece Of cedar
board was as follows:-
1887. JBv- ToB
Blk NAP ACCO
On the reverse were the letters:-
s ~ go NAV G HELPP
After repeated efforts the characters were inter-
preted thus:-"J V. Nap" signifies the name
OF James b. Vincent, who was seaman On BOARD
the bark Napoleon when she was lost in Benring
sea, In lSS1. The two words I'm the OpDOSra
umn are request that present be made to the
Indian for carrying the news Give tobacco, or.
characters show that Vincent was ten mles(.'M lO)
southwest Of Cape Navarin. This Interpretation
proved to be right. 1t has been found that James
b. vincent was alive, 10 miles southwest OF Cape
Navar1n, Siberia, and wished the Indian who car
r1ed his message rewarded with tobacco The
Bear at once prepared to sail for Cape Naravin TO
ind, II possible, the unfortunate man or men, for
four lndistinct marks upon the wood led the OFF,
GERS to believe that Vincent might not have been
the only one whose life was not lost.
The Bear steamed away from Port Clarence on
July IL, arriving in the vicinity OF Navarin some
SIX days later. The Bear arrived early In the
morning and dropped anchor In a little inlet when
several parties were sent ashore to scour the sur
rounding country. 1t was nearly night when they
returned TO the vessel, and not word was learned
OF white man stopping On the barren shores
The next day the searching parties were again
sent out, and before EOon some miles from Navarin
IN the direction or Cape st. Thaddeus, an old Es-
Quimaux was found who guided the party TO an
E,qutmaux village at the south, where Vincent
Was found. His health was shattered and he had
nearly abandoned hope OF ever reaching his native
land. The crew had persisted, one by one, and he
had lived on with the EsquimauX with whom he
mad Joined his fortunes Oh landing on the bleak
coast two years before. He expected to live and
die on the frozen wash OF the Gun OF Anadyn and
his only forlorn hope was in the rude message
which he Carved on the piece Of wood and sent
reached friends, and after months OF awful sus-
pense he Was saved as by a miracle, and the fate
OF the missing crews Is no longer secret OF the
sea.